While recreational fishers in Australia have targeted Swordfish in the past, both at night-time with shallow set baits and during the day with deep-set baits, success had been limited with only a few Swordfish reported landed. In 2014, adjacent to the coast of Tasmania an individual fisher had repeated success targeting Swordfish on the continental shelf break using the deep-dropping method during the day-time, fishing in depths of approximately 400 – 600 m. The reporting of this success garnered significant interest by the game fishing community in Australia, and the fishery developed further in Tasmania over subsequent years, as well as southeast Victoria. A small amount of targeted effort using the same methods and subsequent catch was also reported in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The fishery however is still relatively niche.

4. Deliver a desktop review of contemporary and innovative management methodologies for the sustainable development of recreational opportunities related to large game species (reviewing both aquatic and terrestrial literature).

Sources of Seafood Knowledge – from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation